Connecting to the Salish Sea

written by Ian Perry

I was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. I was very fortunate in that the house in which I grew up had a lovely distant view of the coastal mountains north of Vancouver, and also of Burrard Inlet. Every morning when I woke up, I would look out the upstairs window at this view, and wonder what lay beyond those mountains and beneath that sea. As a teenager I was very fortunate to be able to do extensive hiking in those mountains north of Vancouver (to discover that what lay beyond the mountains of North Vancouver were more fabulous mountains). In my professional life I have been very fortunate to study and learn what lies beneath the surface of the Salish Sea. I have learnt that, if you know how to read it right, the Salish Sea is full of signs and hints of what is happening to it, and beneath its surface. For example, taking a seaplane from Nanaimo to Vancouver on a sunny day and watching the sun glint off the water’s surface tells me about the wind and waves on the surface of the sea and the currents underneath. Occasionally, colourful algal blooms or sediment from the Fraser River can also be seen (or from the ferries) which create beautiful patterns but also tell me about the base of the food web and the marine life in the Salish Sea. And of course, seeing the return of many species of marine mammals to the Salish Sea gives me hope about its recovery and sustainability.